Machine for upsetting and clinching tubular fasteners



Sept. 25, 1923. 11,%&662

J. H. GIFFORD MACHINE FOR UPSETTING AND GIJINCHING TUBULAR FASTENERS Filed March 20, 1918 Fatented Sept. 25, 1923.

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JOHN H. GIFEORD, or MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, nssrsnon TO UNITED saon maonmnmr CORPORATION, or IPATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A ooaroaa'nom or NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE IEOR UPSETTING AND CLINCHING TUBULAR FASTENERS.

4 Application filed March 20, 1918. Serial No. 223,545.,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN H. GIFFORD a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Upsetting and Clinching Tubular Fasteners, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines for upsetting and clinching tubular articles such as eyelets and gromets, and is herein set forth, for the purpose of illustration, in a form well adapted to special kinds of work as, for example, clinching tubular articles of the character mentioned in frangible material.

The more common machines for. setting eyelets and gromets are not well adapted for operating upon frangible materlals such as porcelain, glass, hardrubber, and other brittle substances, because in such machines the upsetting and clinching action is attended by an im act or blow that would crack or break materials such as those mentioned. Furthermore, the form of the work in which the tubular article is to be set would oftentimes be such asto prevent the setting instrumentalities from having access to both ends of the tubular article.

An important object of the present invention is to provide an improved machine adapted to upset and clench a tubular article in a body of brittle or frangible material without subjectin the latter to any blow or impact that woul be likely to break it.

Another object of the invention is to provide a satisfactory machine of the character mentioned in which the operating instrumem rotation, so as to turn over progressively and to clench the end of a tubular article interposed between the working portion of the tool and the anvil. This mode of operation enables the tool to effect a gradual flaring and clinching of the tubular article Without striking any blow or impact that might crack a piece of work composed of brittle material.

Another feature of the invention consists in the form of the spinning tool whereby the worklng portion of the latter may be inserted through the tubular article from the end that is seated against the anvil, in which respect the co-operatlng instrumentalities may be related in such manner as to operate upon an article inslde a piece of work to which the only means of access would be through the article itself.

Still another feature of the invention consists in forming the spinning tool in such manner that a portion thereof will serve to keep the article centered relatively to the working portion while the latter is operatlng, thus dispensing with the necessity for any extraneous means for this purpose.

Other features of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description of an illustrative embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. l is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a piece of work applied to the operating instrumentalities;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a fastener partially clenched upon the work; and

Fig. 4 shows another form of the operating instrumentalities with a fastener clenched upon a piece of work.

A suitable frame 10 has forwardly extending brackets 11 in which is rotatably supported a vertical shaft 12. This shaft is provided with a driving pulley 14:, by means of which power may be supplied through a belt 16, and with a chuck 18 of anv desired type. Vertical movement of the shaft 12 during its rotation may be effected by means of a lever 20.pivoted upon the lower bracket 11 and provided with a forked upper end arranged to co-act with the lower side of the pulley 14.

In a third bracket 22 there is supported an eyelet presenting set 24 whose lower end is shaped in the usual fashion to conform to the shape of the flange of the eyelet to be set. This set is retained in the bracket by any convenient means, as, for example, by a set screw 26, and is provided with a bore con centrically disposed to admit a rotating tool 30 which is supported in the chuck 18. It will thus be seen that the tool 30 and the tool 24 are arranged for relative axial movement when the handle 20 isactuated and for rela tive rotative movement by virtue of the connection of one of the tools to the rotating shaft 12. The lower end of the tool 30 is provided with a lateral pro ection 32 which in the illustrated embodiment, is'connecte to the body of the tool by a curved portion designed to co-act with the barrel of an eyelet 33 and when brought into engagement therewith, gradually to clench the same against the work 35 in some such manner as is illustrated in big. 3 by spinning the barrel of the eyelet against the surface of the work. The diameter of the tool is preferably about the same as the internal diameter of the eyelet barrel and the end of the tool opposite the projection 32 is rounded off to facilitate the insertion of the tool in the eyelet and the Work. 1 Y Such a clinching operation requires only a small pressure such as will be necessary in order to bring the rotating spindle 30 firmly into engagement with the barrel of the eyelet and, inasmuch as the tool is operated to clench progressively successive parts of the I fastener, the operation is very gradual and there will be no undue or sudden pressure against the work. When it is desired to utilize the invention for setting eyelets in flat work or in such manner that the flang ing of the barrel of the eyelet shall be visible to the operator, then a modified arrangement such as that illustrated in Fig. 4 may be utilized. In this embodiment of the invention, the eyelet presenting set 124 is arranged below the work and the rotating spindle 130 is provided with a lateral projection 132 which is connected to the spindle by a curved surface adapted to engage the upstanding barrel of the eyelet 133 and spin the sameagainst the work 135.

Any suitable device may be provided for supporting the work and bringing it into operative relation to the working tools, and there is illustrated in the drawings, one particular embodiment which has been designed particularly for use in connection with cylindrical pieces of work, as, for example, conduit pipes. support 40, formed as a V-shaped trough, is supported upon a vertically movable rod 42 and a manually actuated lever 44 pivoted upon the frame and adapted to be connected to a foot pedal, for example, is arranged to move the rod 42 and hence the work sup- For this purpose a work port 40 vertically to bring the work into active relation with the operating tools.

The operation of setting an eyelet in a piece of work of the character just mentioned will be carried out by placing an eyelet against the anvil 24 so as to surround the spindle 30 and by then moving the work over the spindle in the manner suggested by the dotted lines in Fig. 2 so that the work will be seated on the flange of the eyelet,

as shown by full lines, preferably with suflicient pressure to prevent the eyelet from turning in the work. The lever 20 will then be manipulated to move the working portion of the tool 30 against the eyelet in order. to turn over and to clench the same against the work. This operation, as previously described, will be a gradual or progressive flanging of the eyelet barrel, and is gener ally known as spinning.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine of the character described, an anvil, movable Work-sustaining means for presenting a piece of apertured workagainst an eyelet on said anvil, and means for spinning the barrel of the eyelet against the work. v.

2. In a machine of the character described, a fixed anvil for fixing the position of the article to be clenched, a work-sustaining member movable toward and from the anvil, and means for clinching one part of the article before another part is clenched.

3. In a machine of the character described, an anvil, a work-sustaining member movable toward and from the anvil, and. a rotary tool for spinning one end of a tubular article bearing on the anvil, a portion of said tool being formed and arranged to center the article relatively to the anvil.

4. In a machine of the character de scribed, a rotary spinning tool adapted to be inserted through a tubular article and to turn over and clench an end of the latter, a portion of said tool being formed to keep the article centered relatively to the working portion, and an anvil constructed and arranged to sustain the article against the working stress of the tool. 7

5. In a machine of the character described, a rotary spinning member having a working portion adapted to turn over and to clench an end of a tubular article, and having a cylindric portion adapted to fill the throat and to co-act with the internal surface of the article to keep the latter centered relatively to the axis of the member, said working portion being insertable through the article from the'opposite end, and an anvil constructed and arranged to co-operate with said working portion to clench an article interposed between them.

6. In a machine of the character derev scribed, a spinning tool and an annular lateral projection adapted to go through a gnvil arranged to execute relative rotation tubular article of such interna diameter as and relative co-axial movement to upset a to fit closely but freely upon the tool. 30

have signed my tubular article seated on the anvil, said tool In testimony whereof I 5 being arranged to extend through the anvil name to this specification.

from the rear side of the latter and having a rounded working end terminating in a JOHN H. GIFFORD. 

